Warriors guard Stephen Curry was cleared for contact and says he’s targeting March 1 for his return from his broken left hand.
Curry scrimmaged with the team on Saturday and both he and coach Steve Kerr gave updates on Curry’s progress afterward.
“It’s always been March 1,” Curry said. “But that for me mostly is just to give you a target. You have to have something to work towards in the rehab process because that gives you a barometer for each week, what you’re building towards. Like I’ve always said, I haven’t had any setbacks along the way, this has been a very long, strenuous rehab process, and it’s something I haven’t been through before, so it’s nice that I’m getting that type of response with every new challenge that I kind of go after.”
Kerr said the team was energized by Curry’s presence at Saturday’s workout.
“I think everybody’s excited,” Kerr said. “He got an ovation today when I told the group he was going to scrimmage with us. Everybody was excited. It will be good for our young guys to feel what it’s like to play with him and vice versa. Steph needs to get to know these guys, too … it’s a big part of the final third of the season is everybody playing together, acclimating together, with the trade for Andrew [Wiggins], the young guys, Steph coming back, these games matter.”
Steph Curry has been fully cleared for contact. He scrimmaged today. Return is nearing. Here’s the full update via Steve Kerr. pic.twitter.com/15HUJIDXMG
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 22, 2020
While Curry is excited about his progress, he still says his hand — which he broke Oct. 30 in a collision with Suns center Aron Baynes — isn’t back to normal.
“I’m getting used to what a new normal is,” Curry said. “It definitely feels different than the right [hand], But you can try to get to a point when you’re actually playing basketball, you don’t think about it. Whether it feels all the way the same or not, it really doesn’t matter. As long as I’m not worried about the things that I’m trying to do, the strength part of it. And how it bounces back the next day after pushing it, whether it’s contact stuff or all that, you have to pay attention to all that type of stuff … it is going to feel different.”
The Warriors, who are currently last in the Western Conference with a record of 12-44, face the Wizards on Sunday, March 1, the date of Curry’s potential return.
